Bombus hortorum

It is a large bumblebee with a very long tongue, which it often holds stretched out as it approaches a flower.

The thorax is banded: black across the middle with pale bands at the front and back.

The tail is white to greyish white, and the face is long, much longer than it is wide.

Adults are about 12 to 22 mm long: queens about 17 to 20 mm, workers 11 to 16 mm and males 14 to 15 mm.

It is found throughout the British Isles and, beyond them, across northern and central Europe and Asia from the Atlantic to western Siberia.

The New Zealand bumblebees came from England, in shipments of 1885 and 1906.

In a survey of the South Island of New Zealand in January 2003 it was the second most abundant bumblebee, with 771 bees recorded, after the buff-tailed bumblebee with 882.

Queens emerge from hibernation between March and June, workers appear from late April, and males and new queens fly from July to October.

Mature nests are medium-sized, with about 100 workers.

Nests are always under cover but may be only shallowly underground, down to 50 cm.

It has a very marked preference for red clover flowers when they are available.

The cuckoo bumblebee Bombus barbutellus parasitises its nests.

Together with three other European bumblebees it was released on New Zealand's South Island to improve pollination of red clover, a forage crop.

In Britain it is not regarded as being of conservation concern.